Young adult fiction books make up a lot of childhood dreams, particularly in the realm of fantasy. We all remember when we read the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, or Percy Jackson series. They hold special places in our hearts.
Those series may be well known, but there’s more to the story in young adult fiction than those heavy hitters. These fantasy favorites inspire new writers every day. They make brilliant, heart-warming, and sometimes terrifying additions to the fairytales in your head. Add these 3 books to your fiction reading list to add a little magic to your life.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Watership Down chronicles the tale of rabbits who leave their burrow after predicting its downfall. Their struggle for survival has become a timeless tale of friendship, survival, and mythology.
The best part of this book is its tone. Watership Down has the feel of a fairytale, an epic high adventure like The Hobbit where symbols, customs, and languages cross in fantastical lands. Adams studied hard to create a mythology based on the real behavior of rabbits. What he makes feels authentic to a culture that never existed. It will warm your heart, scare you, thrill you, and leave you feeling like you went on a journey.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
Every little girl’s favorite fantasy creature starred in one of the greatest young adult fiction books ever written. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle may seem like a fairytale when you’re a kid. However, as you get older, it becomes a powerful deconstruction of the way we tell stories.
The novel’s world has no room left for stories, castles, and happy endings. It is a modern medieval landscape full of people who no longer believe in fiction. Reading this book reaffirms that belief in all who read it with its beautiful prose and unforgettable characters.
Timeline by Michael Crichton
The late Michael Crichton wrote this book about the perils of time travel in 1999. However, it still seems advanced and exciting today, with its realistic characters and detailed scientific logic. Timeline belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in smart adult fiction, though teens can easily be inspired by its accessible premise and readable text.
It seems like science at first but progresses into pure fantasy when the archaeological team travels back to the land of medieval knights and damsels. They discover that they’re not on vacation when they confront the brutal realities of that time.
But on the whole, the book presents a wild and engaging look into the past from the perspective of one of the greatest science fiction writers ever.
The Takeaway
Young adult fiction books do not have to be fantasy, but many teens have used fantasy to be inspired to learn, read, and write. These 3 classic books provide insight into the range offered by young adult fiction, as well as offering engaging reading for anyone that feels trapped in our world … and wants to visit another.
